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Hindu Pantheon
The Hindu Pantheon were the collective gods worshiped by the people of Ancient India and Persia, located beyond the lands of Sumeria and west of Chin. Unlike the majority of gods on Earth, except perhaps the Olympians, the Hindu pantheon is made up of several different races and smaller pantheons, such as the Devas, Asuras, Adityas, Daityas, Yazatas, and Rakshasas. They presided in a multi-layered cosmology of worlds with a multi-layered underworld known as Patala and the heaven of Swarga Loka where most of their gods dwell. Unlike the Olympians, the Hindu gods lived apart from their worshipers and very rarely trafficked with mortals or produced half-immortal children known as Demigods. As Hinduism encompasses numerous beliefs and cultures, accounts of their origins vary and frequently contradict each other. According to Aryan myths, they were descended from the ancient mother-goddess Aditi, who sired the Adityas, the first generation of the Hindu Gods. The Adityas were ruled over by the god Varuna, who was known to the Persians as Ormazd, but he was supplanted by Vishnu, the ascendant god of the Hindu religion, who ruled as part of a trimurtri with the gods Brahma and Shiva. Despite this fact, worship of the Hindu gods (Hinduism) and worship of the Persian gods (Zoroasterism) co-existed for several centuries. Several of the Adityas or Vedic gods had roles in both the Hindu and Persian pantheons; such as Vayu, the wind-god and father of Hanuman, who was known as Vata in Persia. This religion is unique because it does not have a founder; it is not a religion or a philosophy but a sum of them. It is a set of metaphysical, religious beliefs, cults, customs and rituals that make up a tradition, in which there are no priestly orders that establish a single dogma, nor a central organization. It would be rather a conglomeration of beliefs from peoples of different regions along with those brought by the Aryans who settled in the Indus Valley. The Hinduists call that religious tradition sanātana dharma ('eternal religion'), because they believe that it has no beginning or end. According to them, it has existed for more than 5000 years. They consider that Hinduism is the oldest religious tradition in the world. It is not known how these events unfolded in the Xenaverse. In Xenaverse In the Xenaverse, the Hindu gods are worshiped as gods in India and act distantly beyond the scenes when Xena arrived looking for guidance to her true destiny, sending her Krishna and Rama to help her. Hanuman, the monkey-god, was greatly impressed by her warrior skills, and Kali infused her form into Xena to help her kill the demon Indrajit. Role/Importance The Hindu gods were worshiped throughout much of the lands south and west of the Himalayan Mountains of Central Asia and carried into Southwest China and the Philippines. The Romans carried worship of some of their gods, such as Mithra, back to Rome, and tenets of Buddhism and Taoism are related to the Hindu religion. Hinduism is one of the largest religions on Earth, encompassing more than a thousand gods with numerous names and functions. Powers and Abilities The Hindu gods seem to possess many of the same superhuman Powers and Abilities of the Olympian gods, but at unknown levels. These powers include at least enchanted life-spans, the ability to tap into mystical energies and infuse their life-force into mortal avatars or restore themselves to life by returning to life through reincarnation. Several of the Hindu gods are known to have several arms as well as several faces and heads and exotic skin colors; the god Vishnu was known by having blue skin. Like the Olympians, they were true immortals, ceasing to age after reaching adulthood. Limitations The full limitations of the Hindu gods are unrevealed. Although immune to harm, it appears only one Hindu god is capable of killing another Hindu god but only by taking a demonic form. Hindu Deities *Krishna *Kali *Hanuman *Rama (mentioned) Gallery File:Hanuman.jpg|Hanuman in "The Way" File:Indrajit.jpg|Indrajit in "The Way" File:Krishna.jpg|Krishna in "The Way" 73.jpg|Kali in "The Way" Appearance * XWP: "The Way" de:Nordische Götter Category:Hindu Pantheon Category:Pantheons